Since posting my first blogs on digital (NFT) collecting, I receive MANY questions about collecting strategies and why I focus so much effort on hunting specific edition numbers. So, this seemed like a great topic to dive deep into, and see if you agree or disagree!  Just know, mine is but one of so many paths you can choose and the ideas shared below are the musings of an old fart who grew up without an Internet, has embraced digital and really enjoys the ‘homework hunting’ for key details that define how I choose one digital collectible over another.  To start, let’s confirm two terms that seem to be used almost interchangeably these days, for the purpose of this article:

  1. MINT NUMBER: When it was “blockchain minted,” akin to when a magazine was printed on a physical printer; its order of printing
  2. EDITION NUMBER: Of the limited # of assets created (‘minted’), each has its own uniquely-assigned edition number. EX: You win a drop with Edition #1939 on a Marvel Collectible of 2,500 total editions (mints). So, Edition Numbers act like a signature or unique / special feature of a particular asset in a collection. These are generally more accepted to the conversation following…

CGC GRADING & NUMERICAL IMPORTANCE

When physical comic grading started (CGC launched Jan 1, 2000), I realised there was valuable importance to numbers in comic collecting. A 9.2 CGC meant more to own than a 1.5, based on the item’s quality or ‘grade,’ but which also had value of other items — dates of coins, stamps and print edition numbers found on dollar bills. Numerical importance for collectors was appearing everywhere I looked, but at the time didn’t really factor into my collecting as most of those ‘graded’ options were way out of my reach!

LucasFilm Founded 1971LucasFilm Founded 1971

For many people, numbers suck to think about. Weird as it is, I find certain numbers that hold meaning for people kind of fun, and how deeply connected they can become to their prized assets.

Some of us buy custom license plates, choose certain numbers for sports jerseys, love 1s & 0s from coding (or The Matrix), collect stamps / dollar bills with specific years... choose lottery numbers related to birthdays, etc.

Easy to resell? Maybe not, but owning a Darth Vader VeVe Digital Collectible, with both the year George Lucas founded LucasArts that also matches my birth year was 100% worth the premium for me. Ultimately, numbers matter for many, but of course, not all.

BUT, AREN’T ALL DIGITAL COLLECTIBLES THE SAME?

I won’t go deep down the technology rabbit hole here, so if interested in the new “Web3” ecosystem, visit BLOCKCHAIN FOR DUMMIES. For simplicity, a blockchain is the “tech” layer under things we use today like smart contracts, crypto payments, metaverse builds & digital (NFT) collecting.

The Internet (Web 2.0) was built to deliver CONTENT like news, blogs & social media, but not financial transactions per se. It’s just been asked to do this, which isn’t really its core competency. Blockchains, like Ethereum, allow the upgrading of this infrastructure — as it progresses, most of us will barely know we’re even using it, but the transactional & financial technology it offers will likely change our lives forever.

It’s important to understand this for digital collecting — IF a group of digital collectibles minted on a blockchain are all exactly the same and don’t degrade, then what really sets them apart?

Let’s look into that a bit deeper…

Marvel Comics #1 digitally reproduced as a Licensed Collectible on VeVe, showing Edition #’s

 

1: HOW DIGITAL COMIC COLLECTIBLES CAN DIFFER

Marvel Comics #1 in physical comic format published in August 1939, when 860,000 copies were printed. Today, there are < 100 remaining, with none ever graded > 9.4 CGC. Currently, a 9.2 Grade sells in the $2.5M USD Range. Imagine a 9.8 CGC grade — it could fetch > $10M! Real scarcity, real value.

If you just want to read & enjoy these books online, you can easily use MARVEL UNLIMITED and for ~ $9.99 a month, have full readership access to most of Marvel’s entire inventory of comics.

However, you don’t OWN those comics, you can only read them and have a $10/mo unlimited access account. You can’t buy, sell or trade the assets.

In August 2021, VeVe dropped the Digital Collectible version of Marvel Comics #1. However, rather than match the original 860,000 copies published, they minted just 60,000. In terms of other NFT drops, 60k mints may seem high. Mathematically though, it’s a 93% production reduction from the original, printed version. For anyone unable to afford a physical copy (the bulk of us), VeVe & Marvel created an opportunity for MANY fans to now own an immensely iconic piece of comic collecting history.

Yet, even with 60,000 digital versions made, they are now easily accessible GLOBALLY. My hunch is FAR MORE than 60k comic collectors exist in the world, who will not want to miss out when they learn about this.

At the time of this writing, there are < 300 copies left for sale in the VeVe app; 59,700 are stocked away by current holders, many owning multiple copies, & limiting available supply. VeVe is running out of listings on many other key grails such as Daredevil #1, ASM#1AF-15, Tales of Suspense 57…while newer drops limit editions in some cases to < 5,000 — making scarcity immediate & ownership, UNIQUE.

WHAT’S THIS HAVE TO DO WITH EDITION NUMBERS?

A) For The “Don’t-Care-Much” Users:

When MC1 dropped on VeVe for $6.99 & faltered to $3 for a while, many with foresight jumped at the chance to be first-in on this opportunity. Edition #’s meant little, just the low price that allowed app users to gobble up these new digital assets. Today, the common-variant / OG Cover floor price hovers between $30 — $70, a 4X to 10X increase from its $7 drop price. Its all-time high (floor price) was $705 in Jan 2022 — a 9,971% return.

Check the SECRET RARE variant (the far right image above, used from a significant interior panel image) stats - it reached an all-time-high floor price of over $70,000 (114,335% gain from list), currently at an 8,000% gain from its drop price!

Marvel Comics #1 Digital Collectible

So from a pure ‘instant trading, flipping, and profiting standpoint it’s pretty obvious edition numbers may not matter as much to the quick money movers. Yet look closely…the dark graph is behind the gold shows the number of assets listed for sale in the market — they’re all being held, forcing the per-unit rate down for those who can’t wait the market out.

I say don’t care too much” as in almost every case I see, there is at least SOME caring. The lowest 5% of edition #’s matter considerably — they sell fast & easy at market floors; people like 2, then 3, then 4 digit assets more often than 5 digit ones. Even VeVe gives a small premium on App Collector Points (MCP) for those lowest 5%.

The bear market has certainly led to COLLECTING in the app. Go figure. Running through many market listings, there are FEW IF ANY key editions available, from ‘fancy numbers” to historically significant ones like 19618 for Fantastic Four #1 (1961, August, was its publication date).

Many key editions like 1939 (Marvel Date of Birth from Timely), 1963 (Avengers, Spider-Man Issue Starts), 1977 (Star Wars 1st Theater Appearance) sell for huge premiums. Add a month to make the date even more accurate, or special numbers for uniqueness & you have a recipe for premium market listings. (Examples: 5775 Star Wars Palindrome for its May ’77 release, 5477 for “May the 4th” Be With You or 1077 for FA ‘77)

Various VeVe Darth Vader Digital Collectibles & Associated Film History Edition Numbers
               Various VeVe Darth Vader Digital Collectibles & Associated Film History Edition Numbers

Whether you hunt key numbers or not, it’s hard to argue one like 1234 or 33333 doesn’t have a certain visual appeal, amplifying its ability to resell quickly or grow value slightly. or far more than completely random #’s.

VeVe Fan Fave, @Cleverjerk21

B) For The “Care-A-Lot” Users

I struggle timing market highs & lows. This shaped my investment & collecting outlooks to long term, preferring dollar-cost-averaging with consistent involvement vs. chasing big, fast wins. That, plus multiple career experiences taught me patience; focus on what I know, sweat the small stuff & little things added together tend to turn into bigger things.

Sure, there have been many times I FOMO’D into things, but as more items entered the app & EVERYONE chased after low editions, I itched to get away from the herd. Something was clearly missing… At first, edition #’s seemed rather random, but then I started to see history & significant numerical reference within these VeVe assets, who continuously displayed the edition numbers on the images of the assets.

That’s when Marvel Comics #1, Edition #8390 Appeared in Market

At the time the floor was ~ $100, but I gladly paid over it to grab this # from the market. The physical book first published August 1939, so I thought ‘why not try to align the new, current digital version to its direct ancestry?’

It’s not the only ‘key’ or 1:1 edition as they’re becoming known (IE: also 839, 398, 3908, 8039, 19398, 19391, etc., but if this is any indication, Edition #1939 recently sold in the app for $10,000! This is a monstrous 142,747% increase from its $7 original price, in just 1 year!

VeVe’s Marvel Comics #1 Digital Collectible, Edition 8390 (Ref: Aug ’39 Publication Date)
                           VeVe’s Marvel Comics #1 Digital Collectible, Edition 8390 (Ref: Aug ’39 Publication Date)

It took just one specific collector who probably (like me), wanted an asset number referencing the start of Marvel’s legacy. Sure, there are fewer collectors who seek these out or have the gems (dollars) to chase them, and it’s likely only a handful of assets in this app will ever see gains like this (similar to any market), but for those like me who enjoy the ‘hunt’ and appeal of fancy edition numbers, this is a great way to find key collectibles.

It’s also easier on gas than driving to garage sales or hitting up multiple comic book stores — not that I don’t still do that, but for those seeking a fun way to keep up the passion of finding hidden gems, this really does the trick, and now, where I spend most of my time in the app. My bet is we will see that 1939 sell again. For multiples higher...

HUNTING NUMBERS IN A DIGITAL COLLECTING APP:
MADNESS, ENTERTAINMENT...IYKYK?

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will have seen examples of negative comments about my number-hunting passion. “Waste of time, who cares, over-spent, never be able to sell, NFTs all exactly the same, FAD, SCAM and so on.” Ultimately, it’s water off this duck’s back.

I love doing the research and enjoy sharing these small moments of enthusiasm — if anything, to offer options for new collectors or those looking to branch out in new ways and galvanize the community. It’s not just about chasing “low editions” I chat about with many.

HUNTING NUMBERS IN A DIGITAL COLLECTING APP - MADNESS OR ENTERTAINMENT?

The image above will take you to a great (~6 min) YouTube from the guys at Comics and Crypto on the subject. There is also a full (39) minute version if you really enjoy the YT stuff HERE. For the readers out there, here is a link to a more recent newsletter article, “WHY MINT #’S MATTER.”

Point is, the edition # debate is gaining traction — whether you choose to engage or not is entirely up to you — arguing against anyone else’s preferred method of collecting is really just a waste of air. It only takes one other person to see the uniqueness to add value.

Further, many collectors love to show off gnarly finds, but can be hard to do in the real world (IRW). If being able to do so in a digital ecosystem pumps just a few people up, presents new ideas or demonstrates the excitement we can share, then really…why the hell not?

Ultimately that’s going to benefit the platform by generating excitement and potential for every single user who has signed in and purchased an asset. For me, connecting to this Community to share, learn and discuss has been the most rewarding part of the entire experience.

Collectors of Key, Special, 1:1 or Low Editions LIKE to show 'em off!

.The Phygital Amazing Spider-Man, Edition #628, T-Shirt
                                               The Phygital Amazing Spider-Man, Edition #628, T-Shirt

I can’t wait for virtual showrooms with digital comics, MetaVerse homes or museums, or seeing the joy these new assets bring to their owners — even physically printed on T-SHIRTS or a collection of digital covers made into coffee table books you can enjoy in digital or physical (Phygital) formats.

My friend Denis bought VeVe/Marvel’ AF15 comic #628, at a premium, but is so thrilled to own it. He too is a real-world, physical comic collector with an “Amazing” collection, yet loves hunting these key-edition digital versions. That’s his #628 “signature” emblazoned on that t-shirt. If that’s not PHYGITAL collecting, I don’t know what is!

DCNFT’s Drop for SUPERMAN #1 (like others in their platform), began with a slightly different approach — NO edition #’s to focus on more physical characteristics like faded or ripped covers (digitally reproduced from real DC, CGC graded-books), with pricing based on the comic’s condition / rarity akin to the physicals (IE: more ‘common’ covers are very faded, with ‘epic or legendary’ digital versions being clear & vibrant).

DC’s Superman #1 Digital Comic Collectible on Candy Digital: https://www.candy.com/dc/marketplace?q=superman+%231&page=2
DC’s Superman #1 Digital Comic Collectible on Candy Digital

Yet, it didn’t take long for DC3WIKI to pop up, allowing owners to verify their comic’s edition(s) by entering the Order # into a simple form. Today, that site is gone as DCNFT (now part of the CANDY DIGITAL collecting platform) makes edition #’s a CLEAR part of their value.

Either way, metadata (NFT blockchain verification) erases arguments about ownership for this collecting space, which may equate genesis mints to the likes of say, real world art collecting where you relish the value of buying a piece directly from the artist. The first true owner.

With blockchain metadata detailing transactions, true “1st owner” status may matter considerably more. That is, if you win or ‘mint’ an NFT or Digital Collectible as its “genesis” owner, without flipping or having it change hands many times, the question is whether that asset could be more valuable as we can track how often it transacts.

COULD DIGITAL COLLECTIBLES DEGRADE, IF SOLD OFTEN OR MAKE EDITION NUMBERS MOOT?

This is a challenging question as people try to identify how to grade digital assets like their physical counterparts.

A physical Fantastic Four #1 graded at 9.8 could sell today for $1,000,000+. If it’s cased, insured, etc., then really, it could have sold 1,000 times over, but still fetch that $1M for two reasons:

1) IT’S NOT DEGRADING (much) as it’s cased & protected properly (technically, digital collectibles do not degrade as they are digital)

2) INCREDIBLE POPULARITY & historical value. IMHO, the popularity factor trumps most arguments here.

The way I see this for digital assets goes back to MC1 editions like 839, 8390, 1939…those numbers align, and hold popularity to that asset forever, where we can just as easily argue the number of times it’s traded is BECAUSE of the edition #, not in spite of it.

That said, it certainly warrants the case & appeal that GENESIS editions will be able to claim a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to buyers who want that level of UNIQUE, limited transfer-of-ownership status.

Imagine winning (minting) a #1961 Fantastic Four #1 Digital Edition, but still holding it as the original owner. This, like buying art directly from an artist, may certainly be appealing to those exclusive-asset buyers and make digital collectible drop participation VERY IMPORTANT.

Edition # Matching is quickly gaining popularity; pairing numbers across variants, or digital-to-physical pieces, like Todd McFarlane’s Batman Digital Asset to its IRL statue. Owning sets with related #’s, backward #’s, all 5555’s and so on ADDS TO THE FUN.

If the number can have some form of value or add to its uniqueness for the owner, then again, why not — if just one other person appreciates that angle, a value equation and opportunity exists.

ONE OF MY OTHER FAVOURITES…

Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 in August 1962. His international celebration day is August 1st, so for me, this makes edition numbers aligned to those historic dates hold great significance. IMHO, they just “look cooler,” almost like these edition #’s forms part of the entire package.

I’m in a fortunate position of not always worrying about floor rates & don’t chase every item, skipping some drops to focus on pieces with more personal meaning or numerical significance. Indeed, I paid a premium for these Spidey editions, as did Denis with the AF15 #628, or the buyer of the MC1 #1939, or Comics & Crypto grabbing the $1977 Luke Skywalker Lightsaber etc. (whoops — did I use a dollar sign there? Sorry, should be #1977 LOL), but if that’s your preference & you can afford the risk, then why not?

Time. Will. Tell.

There were 60,500 ASM-1 digital collectibles dropped in VeVe (the character itself, as opposed to the ASM #1 Digital Comic Book) across 5 variant poses. Again, maybe high, but wouldn’t just about every Marvel / Spider-Man fan want a Spidey First Appearance asset in their collection?

I actually like the mint count for such a key character allowing many more people to enter this space, own & enjoy one. And of course, these were the FIRST MARVEL NFTs dropped in VeVe, generating incredible “future-historic” value. There were only 1,000 ‘Secret Rare’ versions, which are obviously highly coveted and very valuable already, but ahhh…those special edition numbers could weigh heavily again here too.

Marvel launches its first NFTs, Amazing-Spider Man, on VeVe
                                                      https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_NFTs

Of the 60.5k total, there are just a handful of 62, 626, 628, 862, 1862, 1628, 6281, 6208, 1962, 19628, etc., but what about connecting this iconic superhero to the launch of his own comic book series?

Amazing Spider-Man #1’s Cover Date is March 1963 so 63, 363, 636, 1363, 1633, 1063, 6301, 1963, 19633…then there are those who like the comic book release date (when it was printed: DEC 10, 1962), those who focus to STAN LEE’S BIRTHDAY (Dec 28, 1922) and so on…thus, LOADS of FUN!

So begs the argument — should a Common Variant “significant history (date) 1:1 edition number,” based on its numerical scarcity & OG cover, be as or more valuable than a random Secret Rare Variant #, with a panel-based cover, but limited release run?

Yes, time will tell, but then, it’s not always easy to put value on things so deeply important on personal collecting.

I chose the Common 628 ASM collectible # for several reasons — I love the fact it was one of the original VeVe app icons, was the first Spider-Man digital collectible minted, was such a specific, historical number that just looks awesome on the asset…and it’s Peter Parker, who I grew up with from the original cartoons & comics to the MCU.

Miles Morales is 100% popular right now, as he should be based on where Marvel is taking him with the MCU, new video games, etc. to align with the current audience who will grow up with him. Peter has a 62 year head start in building his iconic legacy, but those dates noted earlier? All connect Miles to the FIRST SPIDEY. So I watch for those on Miles’ assets too, plus those important to Miles like his own FA, 1st MCU appearance, 1st Movie Release Date, etc. It’s just how I think — not right, not wrong if it aligns to your strategy or passion.

VeVe’s Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1–1st Issue of Miles Morale’s 1st Ongoing Series
                      VeVe’s Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1–1st Issue of Miles Morale’s 1st Ongoing Series

THE HOMEWORK FIRST, SHOPPING SECOND

If you’re new to the digital collecting ecosystem or just want some ideas how to uncover what numbers might have more value or fun, here are some ways I do the fact-finding to help my decisions:

  1. Review Medium & VeVe articles pertaining to new drops (market or store listings) to determine if I value or have a connection to the item
  2. Consider if it would be a long-term hold, or used to maybe flip for extra gems if the wallet is tight, timing is okay
  3. Google the item’s history, its origins, when it 1st published or appeared, its cover date, how many exist physically, birthdate of author…
  4. With comics, this includes GoCollect.comMarvel.comMarvel Fandom.com, EBay/Amazon to understand popularity & value, recent sales data, Marvel-Confirmed historical dates of their IP (cover dates, etc.)
  5. YouTube research-players in the space (I’ll go over these in an upcoming blog, examples: Comics&CryptoMyCollectiblesSleepyn ComicsSwagglehaus - yes, I certainly follow physical collectors too!
  6. Create a list of numbers I find fun to seek out and/or pair with any related assets I may hold

Then I start hunting. I go for many comic drops as for me, $6.99 is a fairly low-risk gamble to land a secret rare or ultra rare limited variant cover. I also like to grab at least one (or a few) “not necessarily awesome” edition number assets to actually read (just in case that EVER became an issue), or possibly sell later to recover gems for other items.

REAL WORLD MINT-NUMBER COLLECTING TOOLS

This article is long (sorry!), but here are some of the resources I use you too may find helpful too:

THE PENNY HOARDER — a great resource on how collectors hunt edition #’s on money, which can translate easily to digital collectibles

  • Low & High # (ex: VeVe gives bonus MCP points to the lowest 5%, while others pay top $$ for the last say, 10 editions)
  • Flippers: appear the same either right side up or upside down; ex 0690
  • Repeaters: like 4545, 23023
  • Solids: like 5555 & Near Solids 5557
  • Binary Bills: only 2 digits such as 10101

CHINA HIGHLIGHTS — perfect for Asian market assets, coming to the app more steadily now, where certain numbers or combinations have great meaning & importance in many cultures. For instance, in China 6 refers to steady luck while 8 is well-known for wealth & success, but 4’s are often avoided as they represent death or misfortune.

HAD TO KNOW — one of my personal favourites next to 1:1 editions, The PALINDROME (#’s that appear the same if read right to left or left to right, like 16461 or 3993. With just 199 per 10,000 numbers, this equates to 398 in a 20,000 comic drop for example.

Considering a run of 500 Secret Rare variants, this means Palindromes are mathematically more scare than just ‘secret rare’ variants, but I LOVE owning SR Palindrome Editions though!

The Had-to-Know site has a simple calculator allowing you to determine how many exist per any number total. Binaries (just 0 & 1 combos) are even more rare; only (6) binary & palindromic mints in a 30,000 mint drop (excluding any held by VeVe). Shoutout VeVeViking who is a master at these and CherryCharts for these awesome (and free) VeVe comic slabs!

FA Daredevil, ’64 Release Year Palindrome Edition # on VeVe (Slab by www.CherryCharts.com)
                   FA Daredevil, ’64 Release Year Palindrome Edition # on VeVe (Slab by www.CherryCharts.com)

TO “SUM IT ALL UP”

The secret sauce revealed, with apologies to anyone wanting to keep this under wraps, but as I receive MANY questions about whether number hunting is really a thing, or a shilling attempt at making one collectible worth more than another, it just seemed to make sense to go deep here.

“EACH TO HIS OR HER OWN” I always say, and this is all based on my opinions, not financial advice, but from where I see it, none of these resources, arguments or examples of IRW collecting numbers would exist…if this didn’t really matter.

(Side Note, “mint numbers” were pretty much considered the same as edition numbers when this article first published in November 2022, so I made some changes & updates to account for more current, correct terminology on edition vs. mint #'s)

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Thank You for reaching the end, and Happy (Mint-Hunting) PHYGITAL Collecting!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.